Most grey nomads love a stroll along a jetty in one of Australia’s magnificent coastal destinations, or perhaps to cast a line off the end in the hope of catching dinner.
While most of these mainly timber constructions are many decades old, some towns are ready to invest in new jetties as a way of attracting grey nomads and other tourists to town.
The South Australia community of Whyalla is hoping the local council’s $3.8 million plans for a 165 metre ‘loop’ jetty will be given development approval. Whyalla Council Mayor Lyn Breuer hoped the new jetty, which features a 145-metre circular boardwalk, would become ‘an icon in the region’. If all goes to plan, work on the eye-catching jetty would begin early next year.
“It’s something different and we’ve taken a bit of a risk in building it,” Ms Breuer told the Adelaide Advertiser. “We’re hoping it will bring tourists to the area to have a look because it’s quite a unique design … we’ll capture some of the grey nomads going through and any keen anglers can have a go.”
A State Commission Assessment Panel report on the project said the current 121m jetty, built in the 1970s, was in a state of disrepair.
The council is preparing to open a tender process for the construction of the new jetty. The State Government is contributing $1 million towards the project’s cost.
The work’s potential environmental impacts included noise pollution and disturbance of shore vegetation, seabeds and sea life clustered on the jetty’s pylons.
If approved, the council hopes to start work in February and have the jetty open in time for Christmas 2019.
It looks like a great idea and should be a boost to tourism.
I think it will be a boost for tourism as it’s my home town and lots of my van friends here Often visit Whyalla and Vowell I. Search of the elusive King George whiting so I’m sure this jetty will be a great asset and I’ll be trying it for sure.
How many Jetty s around a Aus can one fish off build it Townsville got a purpose build Jetty it’s a big hit with fishermen and for those just to walk out on it great fun.
As a grey nomad I would certainly visit to see the jetty and might even have a go at landing a King George Whiting for dinner